Tahitian Teamwork

The stories on this blog are about the places I visit while working on a yacht but, I also write about being a yacht chef in my first book, Sea Fare: A Chef's Journey Across the Ocean and for Dockwalk magazine. The following is published in this month's edition of Dockwalk. You can read more about working on a yacht on their web-site.

photo courtesy of Amy Angelo, Oceana Logistics

Tahitian Teamwork

The galley can be a lonely place. Often there's only one person in it--there are no other chefs to talk to or learn new techniques from. Although, I love running my own kitchen, sometimes I miss the camaraderie of being around other chefs.

So it's no wonder that when five yacht chefs got together to cook for a dock party, food was all we could talk about.

The Tahitian sun sizzled hot all afternoon. The temperature in the air was well over ninety.

"How about a dock party?" Shaun, the Australian from two boats down, had suggested. "A barbie and beer is perfect for a day like this."

"Sounds good to me. I've got some lamb chops marinating." I was thankful not to have to stand in the galley while they roasted at 400 degrees, driving the already unbearable temperature skyward. "I'll whip together a few salads."

"I'll speak with Brad on Lady Love and Todd on Blue Adventure. I'm sure their crew will want to be included."

It didn't take much to convince everyone on the quai to tun off their ovens and join us. Coolers of Hinano beer were set up alongside tables and grills; each chef had their own outdoor station.

As the sun sank lower in the sky, I grilled my lamb chops to medium-rare and fanned them around a Greek salad with a feta and Kalamata olive vinaigrette. I placed a bowl of minted yogurt sauce next to the platter and sliced pitas in wedges for dipping. I took off my apron, grabbed a cold beer and moved to the next table to examine what the others had made.

Brad stood grilling wahoo steaks that he was serving with a bacon and shiitaki mushroom vinaigrette. "With the leftovers, I make a wahoo hash for breakfast," he told me. Good idea, I thought and made a mental note to remember to try that. We both wandered to the next table.

Amanda, the chef on a sailboat, brought baked potatoes and home-baked seed rolls. In front of the tray of steaming potatoes sat three bowls of sauce. Interesting, I thought, as I picked up a spoon and drizzled an emerald green emulsion over my potato.

"It's green goddess sauce." Amanda held the second bowl of roasted red dip. "Try them with the romesco as well. You'll never eat potatoes with sour cream again."

She was right; they were delicious--light and flavorful. I imagined the same colorful sauces displayed on a breakfast bufet with fluffy scrambled eggs.

Amanda joined us as we moved down the line. Next up was Todd. He grilled chicken legs that had been marinated in parsley, preserved lemons, and a Moroccan spice. He scooped couscous onto my plate and spooned more of the marinade over the chicken. I bit into the moist meat; the flavor attacking my taste buds. What a great idea for crew dinner.

Shaun's station was next. Flames shot through the bars of the grill and licked thick, juicy sausages with heat. The coals hissed and spat as the juice dripped onto them. Smoke swirled through the air.

"That smells wonderful." I scooped some of his cabbage salad onto my plate as he turned the sausages on the grill. I tasted a spoonful while waiting.

It wasn't just any ordinary coleslaw. There was a crunch of peanuts and a rush of heat from the chilies. "Yum! Is that toasted sesame oil I taste?"

Shaun smiled. "Yeah, with a sweet and sour vinaigrette."

"I'll have to steal the recipe from you." Todd said. "My yacht's owner will love this."

"No problem. Did you taste Brad's wahoo?" Shaun asked.

"Great, isn't it? I love the idea of bacon and meaty fish." I was getting excited thinking about recreating the dish with a saute of corn next time the owners came. "And Amanda's potatoes are really tasty."

"That green goddess sauce would be perfect with chicken for a lunch salad." Shaun's brain worked fast to come up with new ways of presenting that night's dishes.

"Or on chewy brown bread with roast turkey and tomatoes," Brad chimed in.

"What about puddled around a tuna tartar?" Shaun shot back.

Amanda nodded, "With those pea shoots the provisioner brought last week, sauteed in garlic and just a touch of sugar to caramelize on top."

The five of us stood in a circle bouncing ideas back and forth. Behind us, various crew spoke of travels and parties in other ports. A deckhand picked up a guitar and strummed a Bob Dylan song. A full moon rose over the bay, sending sparkling light between us and the distant island of Moorea, but none of the chefs noticed. We were too lost in our own world of food and flavors.

By the time the party broke up and crew stumbled back to their boats, we had jointly come up with a dozen new dishes. For just a few hours that night we all worked together. No longer solo chefs, we were a team.


Green Goddess Sauce

1 shallot
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup basil
1/4 cup cilantro
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup avocado
1/2 cup olive oil


Place all but the avocado and olive oil in a blender. Puree until the herbs and shallots are chopped finely; add avocado and pulse to make smooth. Slowly add the olive oil with the motor running to emulsify the sauce. Taste and adjust for seasoning.